"I had a tough time making this decision," said Lee. "But I felt the time was right for me to be a man and accept this new challenge. I could have remained in Korea and maintained my status as a good hitter, but I want to show that a player that excelled in Korea can also excel in Japan.

Regarding his goals, he said, "I have never set any personal goals during my career. If Orix wins a championship, it means I had a good season."

Akinobu Okada also attended the press conference and said, "I want him to pull this team forward as the clean-up batter." Okada also said that he planned to use Lee at first.